“Possibly.” He thought for a few beats. “Probably.”
I stepped up against the workbench but kept my hands back, locking them against the edges of the bench. I had my suspicions about Akil. My brother had denied all involvement. In all likelihood, Akil was the one behind the Hellhounds, but I didn’t have proof. Proof meant I’d have to believe it, and inside, I didn’t want to. Without Akil, I was alone in a world that wanted me dead, and that was not somewhere I wanted to be. Sure, I’d tried to run away, but Akil had always been there, watching over me. If I had proof Akil was trying to kill me, I had no idea what I was supposed to do about it.
“Would you prefer I leave?” Stefan tried to catch my eye, but I couldn’t look away from the sword. I flexed my fingers beside me.
“No. When I go under… I’ll need you here.” A quick glance told me he watched closely. “I don’t know how I’ll react.”
Stefan nodded. “You won’t be able to summon much of your element here. The marks you see on the walls, they’ll prevent you drawing on the energy outside this building. Like at the basement apartment. The worst you can do here is blow a few bulbs.”
His brief smile held more warmth than I’d seen from him all afternoon. Even those bitterly cold eyes had softened. It occurred to me that he might actually care until I realized what that must mean. Whatever was hidden in the blade, it wasn’t going to have a happy ending.
I deliberately ran my left hand down the katana’s edge. The blade was so sharp I hardly felt the cut at all, but the blood flowed freely. A few drops pooled together on the workbench. I wiped my hands together, smothering them in blood. It would seal the link to the past more easily if the blood was fresh. Wrapping my left hand around the cool metal, I immediately felt the weight of knowledge bear down on me.
“We have a problem.” Ryder’s gravelly voice penetrated my wandering thoughts. I’d have fallen into the past had Stefan not touched my hand. His warm fingers resting over mine tugged me back before I could slip further into the blade. He eased my left hand from the sword, fixing his eyes on mine before turning his attention to Ryder. It took a moment to clear my head. I’d only touched the blade for a few seconds, but the weight of its secrets had quickly tugged me under. Left any longer, I wouldn’t have been roused so easily. Ryder showed Stefan the screen on his phone and dragged a hand down his bristly chin.
“Damnit. How did he find us?” Stefan and Ryder looked at me.
“What?”
Stefan presented the phone to me. On the screen, I clearly saw the black limo parked adjacent to Nica’s Mercedes, blocking the street outside. I winced. “Yeah, I was going to ask you how to revoke an invitation…”
“You invited him into your life?” Stefan’s gaze widened. “Are you insane?”
I clamped my jaw shut, grinding my teeth. “Hey, don’t judge me. Okay? It’s your fault.”
“My fault?” He barked a laugh. “And how exactly did I force you into signing your life over to a Prince of Hell?”
“You wouldn’t leave me alone.” I clenched my hand around the cut in my palm. The slight sting of pain was oddly welcome. “When you showed up at my apartment, I had to reveal what I was, but after you fled, I couldn’t control the energy.” I frowned. “With no outlet, it turned on me. Akil was…” Stefan’s stare bore into me. I felt the disappointment roll off him in waves. “He was there. Okay? When I needed him, he was there.”
Stefan tossed the phone back to Ryder. With his back to me, he ran a hand through his hair and took a few moments to think. “He knows you’re here.” He faced me once more, his blue eyes crystalline. I felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. “Go to him. Lie to him. Whatever you have to do. You brought him here, Muse. You get rid of him.”
It wasn’t that simple. “I can’t lie to him. He’ll know.”
Stefan scowled. The displeasure on his face darkened my mood even more. “There’s no other option here,” he said. “If you don’t lie to him about why you’re here, he’ll tear you, me, and this place apart.”
Ryder gave me a sympathetic glance. At least he seemed to realize exactly what Stefan was asking of me. “He only knows you’re here, Muse. He doesn’t know why, and he doesn’t know Stefan’s here. Just tell him the Merc died on you. I’ll back you up.”
“What about Nica? She’ll tell him.”
Stefan plucked a short sword from the workbench. “I’ll talk to her. Just get out there, Muse, before he comes looking for you.”
“Don’t hurt her.”
Stefan gave me a weary sigh. “I’ll find you. Just keep Akil happy. I’ll get to you.”
Ryder beckoned to me, and I had no choice but to follow, my steps heavy with dread. After a quick stop in a washroom to clean the blood from my hands and stem the flow from the cut with a paper towel, we returned to the workshop. The shutters were closed, thankfully, so Akil couldn’t see inside. It didn’t stop me from sensing him though. My body trembled a little as the sheer weight of his power lingered in the air like the threat of an oncoming storm.
“I can’t do this.”
Ryder clutched my shoulders, all authoritative. “You get out there. You tell him what he wants to hear. It’s not just your life that’s at risk here. You’ve got to do this.” He released me and beckoned Nica forward. She’d been watching quietly, aware that something was very wrong. I nodded, indicating she should do as Ryder asked while wondering what Stefan would do to her. I didn’t think he’d hurt her, but I couldn’t be sure. She was Akil’s personal assistant, a spy in our ranks and liable to reveal all.
As Ryder escorted Nica out the back door to the armory, I stood behind the personnel door in the front of the workshop, hand gripping the handle. Akil’s elemental magic wrapped its explorative tendrils around me, calling to me. I was about to lie to a Prince of Hell, Mammon, the Prince of Greed. Had I been full demon like my brother, I might have been able to pull it off, but half human, my emotions were my weakness. I wasn’t capable of it.
I shoved open the door, shielding my eyes from the piercing brightness of the winter sun. Crossing in front of Nica’s car toward the limo, I tried to plaster an easy smile across my lips, but it felt wooden, like trying to snap twigs. My hands trembled. I clutched them in front of me as the limo’s rear door opened. I can’t do this… I can’t do this…
Akil emerged from the back of the car. The sunglasses shielding his eyes made it impossible for me to accurately read his expression. He wasn’t smiling. His lips pulled thin. My heart did a little skip. I can’t do this.
“Hey,” I gushed, forcing too much glee into the single word in my desperation to appear innocent.
Akil stood behind the open door, a hand placed on the roof of the car. He turned his head to take in Nica’s car beside us, and the closed shutters on the workshop. I smiled brightly, but figured it probably came off as a grimace.
“We—er—we had some car trouble.”
“Where’s Nica?”
His voice betrayed nothing, its tone flat. I assumed he was angry, and the stoic mask was there to cover the simmering rage. He hadn’t called his element, but that only meant he wasn’t concerned.
“She’ll be out in a minute. She’s talking to the mechanic… You didn’t have to come all this way. We were having coffee.” I shrugged. “A girls’ afternoon out.”
His gaze dropped a little. The direction of his attention was difficult for me to ascertain behind those dark glasses. Then I realized he was looking at my hands. I clasped them a little tighter together, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. Akil slammed the car door and strode toward me. He took my hands in his and turned them over, revealing the two cuts across my left palm: one from summoning Val and the other from attempting to read the sword. He wouldn’t know why the cuts were there, but there was no way I could disguise my sharp intake of breath.
“What did you do?”
I looked up at him. “I…I summoned Val.”
Akil dropped my hands and snatche
d the sunglasses from his face. He slowly folded the sunglasses and tucked them over the waistband of his trousers, each movement precise and deliberate. I wasn’t sure how long I could stand there waiting for him to rage at me. My knees were about to give out.
“Why would you do such a foolish thing?” His voice still level, he fixed his dark eyes on me. I’d preferred him with the sunglasses on. Now I had the full weight of his stare on me. I refused to look away, knowing if I did, it would give him the hint of guilt he needed.
“I wanted to ask him why he sent the Hellhounds.”
Ryder stepped from the door with Nica in tow. He swaggered up to Akil, thrusting out a grubby, grease-covered hand. “Nice car, but I wouldn’t leave it around here for long.” Ryder indicated across the street with a nod. The hoods were back—five this time, a veritable crowd. They watched us, hands tucked in their pockets, shoulders slouched, but I began to wonder if there was more to them than first met the eye. Perhaps the little collection of fine cars had brought them out, or Ryder knew them. Were they back-up?
Akil barely registered their presence. He regarded Ryder’s hand with a slight curl of his lip. Once Ryder realized Akil had no intention of shaking his hand, he tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans, not in the least bit bothered by Akil’s brush off. “These ladies, huh? Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.” He slapped a hand on the hood of Nica’s car. “Ran out of fuel. Would you believe it? They’re lucky I’m a nice guy. Especially as this little doll here has had a few too many beers.”
Nica flicked her hair out of her face. “I’m fine. Thank you, but… Charlie, you should drive.”
“Sure.” I was all too happy to get in her car. The thought of riding back with Akil made me nauseous. She tossed me the keys. Grateful for the excuse to get away from Akil, I hurried around the car and ducked in the driver’s side, acutely aware of Akil’s stare burning into me. Nica climbed in beside me, and we both watched Akil say a few words to Ryder. Whatever they had been, it was enough to wipe Ryder’s smile off his face. We drove back in virtual silence, the limo a constant presence in the rear view mirrors.
“I won’t say anything,” Nica said.
She wouldn’t meet my glance and didn’t say another word for the entire journey. I believed her, but I wondered what Stefan had said to her to guarantee her silence. I had more to worry about than Nica’s silence. Akil would have questions, and he wasn’t going to like my answers.
Chapter 14
The superb surroundings of the Trade Restaurant bustled with Boston’s elite. Glasses chinked while laughter tickled the air. An authentic décor hinted at its waterside location. Pieces of driftwood decorated the room like well-placed works of art while leather and glass gave the place an air of quality. It was delightful, but I was miserable.
Nica had called Akil’s apartment to inform me that my presence was requested here at 7pm. Akil couldn’t even be bothered to ask me himself. That annoyed me. Nica’s cold shoulder annoyed me. The fact I had no idea how I was going to get myself out of this mess angered me. Frankly, I could barely contemplate surviving another night. I told myself it wasn’t as bad as all that, and then remembered where I’d been before Akil had plucked me out of obscurity. There are things worse than death.
Akil was late. When he eventually arrived, someone accosted him in the doorway, shaking his hand as though he were royalty. Maybe they knew what he was. Maybe they didn’t. It didn’t really matter. Human or demon, he was untouchable. He had it all. Money. Respect. Anyone of the women in the restaurant would have gladly followed him home. All he needed do was catch their eyes. He was a force of nature. An elemental demon walking amongst men. A god.
How the hell was I supposed to beat that?
Akil noticed the half empty wine bottle on the table and suppressed a smile as he sat down opposite me.
“You’re late,” I grumbled.
“Traffic.”
I snorted a laugh. Traffic? He could bend reality around him, and a few stop lights had prevented him from being on time. Right.
A waiter appeared and offered Akil a choice of wine. I glared at him through the brief exchange, watching him taste the wine and express his preference before the waiter poured him a glass. Once the waiter departed, Akil met my stare, his smile hitching up a little. “You’re angry.”
I shrugged. “No.”
He leaned forward, swirling the wine in his glass. “You are angry with me.” He, on the other hand, appeared to be in quite a good mood, as though my anger pleased him.
“Yes.” I sat forward, planting an elbow on the table and picking up my wine. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Sometimes.”
I bit into my lip. A flicker of anger ignited inside me like a pilot light. From that one little light, an inferno could blaze, but right now it was controlled. “What are you doing, Akil?”
“What do you mean?” Oh, playing coy now was he?
“Let’s cut the bullshit.” A few of the other diners in the restaurant glanced our way. Akil also found that amusing. “What’s going on? The workshop? The Hellhounds? Did you know a demon attacked me in the stairwell at your hotel? Damn thing nearly chewed my face off.”
“You’re surprised?”
That little flicker of anger, it flared brighter, my element stirring, awakening. “Are you doing this to me?”
“No.” He said the word softly. Both of us leaned close enough that he didn’t need to raise his voice. “How many times do you need me to say it?”
“It’s not Val. I asked.” I waved my left hand. The wounds from earlier in the day were scabbed over but still sore.
“That was idiotic.” He pointed a finger at me, smile failing. “You’re very lucky he didn’t turn you inside out.”
“He couldn’t. I protected myself.” Ha! See? Not so stupid. I decided not to mention how my brother had tried to skewer me. “He said he didn’t send those hounds, so who else, Akil? There’s only one other demon I know who has enough power to control those beasts.”
“And this one demon you say you know, did he save you from an abusive owner, the very same owner that sheered a wing from your ethereal body and destroyed your mind? Did this demon give you the tools you needed to exact your revenge on your owner? Did he protect you from that day to this one? Has he ever hurt you? Ever?” Embers of heat briefly sparkled in Akil’s dark eyes before vanishing as he blinked.
And that’s where my argument always fell over. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes, rubbing my hand over them. “No.”
“I don’t deserve your anger, Muse.”
I opened my eyes to see him watching me. “So who does?”
“I don’t know. Why does one demon have to be to blame? You’ve ruffled enough wings to infuriate a whole hoard of demons. Look at that detective; who I saved you from, in case you’d conveniently forgotten that as well. He was just one of many. What does it matter? If you did as I asked and stayed with me, none of this would happen.”
He knew all the right words, but it wasn’t enough anymore. “Why me? I’m just a half-blood. Why do they even care if I live or die?”
The waiter appeared with his pen and pad. “Are you ready to order?”
Akil glared at him with enough force to make the poor guy squirm in his shoes and slink off. Akil picked up his glass of wine and took a generous sip. “There is something I’ve… neglected to mention.”
“Oh?”
He swept a pertinent gaze about the restaurant. “Not here.”
“Then let’s leave.” I pushed my glass to the middle of the table, about to stand, when Akil’s hand covered mine, his warm fingers closing, holding me tightly.
“No. We order. We eat. And we enjoy each other’s company.”
The heat from his hand wove its way up my arm, its sensuous touch rooting me to my seat. His words weren’t a request. A part of me resented being told what to do, but the power in his words teased through my human barriers and did pe
culiar things to my demon half. There was no denying the control he had over me, over the demon inside of me. She would roll over and let him tickle her belly if she could, and I couldn’t blame her. She was me, and there was a large part of me that desired everything about Akil. How else does a woman fall in love with a demon?
Once I’d shrugged off my anger, I’d actually enjoyed the meal. The food was fantastic and Akil had all the right levels of charming with an undercurrent of wicked innuendo that had me nearly salivating with the thought of what we might get up to. He hadn’t got to where he was by bullying his way to the top. His suave exterior, irresistible charm, and outright sexy demeanor were virtually impossible to deny. The evening air had a frosty bite when we left the restaurant, prompting me to pull my coat tighter around me as we walked along the waterfront. Yachts of all shapes and sizes bobbed in their moorings, rigging clinking against the masts. We leaned against the railing beside a vast yacht with a helicopter on its retracted top deck.
I took a deep breath of sea air. There was something pure about the sea, its endless ebb and flow, timeless and constant. It would be there long after I’d gone, maybe even outlast my brother. I hoped so. Akil hugged me against his side. His jacket was over my shoulders, keeping out the worst of the chill. We stood like that for a few minutes. I listened to his breathing, let the warmth of him soak into me. The sky above sparkled with diamond stars. The water below was a bottomless black darkness.
He turned me to face him. The press of his body, coupled with the lightheaded effects of the alcohol, conspired to rouse temptation in me. As he lifted a hand to my face, I leaned my cheek into his palm, closing my eyes and sighing.
His lips brushed mine. “Why did you leave me?” he whispered.
It was the only single question I could never answer in a way he would understand, and perhaps that was an answer in itself. He would never understand what it meant to be human. He could pretend, but he had none of the fragility of life. It wasn’t even that though. He wouldn’t know the joys of the simple things in life because he was always playing the grander game. We were like ants to him, milling back and forth, our destinations of no interest. I’d only caught his eye because I’d belonged to Damien.
Demons & Djinn: Nine Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Novels Featuring Demons, Djinn, and other Bad Boys of the Underworld Page 154